Electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) is a portable charging cord set that supplies alternating current (AC) electrical power to on-board battery chargers present in electric vehicles (EVs) or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). There are many portable charging cord sets available for consumers to purchase and use with their EVs or PHEVs. A typical original equipment manufacturer (OEM) charging cord set used in North America provides a line operating voltage of 120 Volts AC (VAC) to the vehicle and has a grid cord conforming to the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) 5-15 standard which is hard-wired to the EVSE. With a line voltage of 120 VAC, it typicality takes 8-10 hours to completely charge the vehicle's battery pack. As newer charging technologies are developed for EVs and PHEVs, some OEMs are requesting a provision for interchangeable grid cords on the EVSE. This approach enables the consumer to either use the 120 VAC grid cord, or remove that cord and replace it with an interchangeable 240 VAC grid cord conforming to the NEMA 6-20 standard that can be used with a 240 VAC input. The 240 VAC option reduces the overall battery charging time by up to 50%.
The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also be inventions.